Public Function SoundEx(ByVal WordString As String, _
    Optional SoundExLen As Integer = 4) As String
    
'************************************************
' Copyright © Stephen Skaggs
'             sskaggs@vectren.com
'************************************************
' Return the mSoundEx code for a specified string
'************************************************
    
    Dim Counter As Integer
    Dim CurrChar As String
    
    If SoundExLen > 10 Then
        SoundExLen = 10
    ElseIf SoundExLen < 4 Then
        SoundExLen = 4
    End If
    
    SoundExLen = SoundExLen - 1
    WordString = UCase(WordString)
    
    For Counter = 1 To Len(WordString)
        If Asc(Mid(WordString, Counter, 1)) < 65 Or Asc(Mid(WordString, Counter, 1)) > 90 Then
            Mid(WordString, Counter, 1) = " "
        End If
    Next Counter
    
    WordString = Trim(WordString)
    
    SoundEx = WordString
    
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "A", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "E", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "I", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "O", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "U", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "Y", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "H", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "W", "0")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "B", "1")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "P", "1")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "F", "1")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "V", "1")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "C", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "S", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "G", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "J", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "K", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "Q", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "X", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "Z", "2")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "D", "3")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "T", "3")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "L", "4")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "M", "5")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "N", "5")
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "R", "6")
    
    CurrChar = Left(SoundEx, 1)
    For Counter = 2 To Len(SoundEx)
        If Mid(SoundEx, Counter, 1) = CurrChar Then
            Mid(SoundEx, Counter, 1) = " "
        Else
            CurrChar = Mid(SoundEx, Counter, 1)
        End If
    Next Counter
    
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, " ", "")
    
    SoundEx = Mid(SoundEx, 2)
    SoundEx = Replace(SoundEx, "0", "")
    
    SoundEx = SoundEx & String(SoundExLen, "0")
    SoundEx = Left(WordString, 1) & Left(SoundEx, SoundExLen)
End Function